By Chris Williams: Bernard Hopkins wants Ryan Garcia to face Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis first, and then take on Vasiliy Lomachenko in a mini-tournament.
Hopkins, who works for Golden Boy Promotions, is picking Ryan (20-0, 17 KOs) to defeat WBA ‘regular’ lightweight champion (23-0, 22 KOs) to move forward to take on WBA/WBC/WBO 135-pound champion.
Hopkins is one of the few people that are picking the 21-year-old ‘Kingry’ Ryan over Tank Davis, as the boxing fans and many former fighters view the fight going Tank’s way. With the power and his rugged fighting style, Tank might be too physically strong for Ryan. If Tank can walk through Ryan’s left hook, which is his primary weapon, he’s going to be a problem for him.
Ryan’s trainer Eddy Reynoso wants him to get more seasoning under his belt before he takes on the talented champions at 135, which includes Devin Haney and Teofimo Lopez.
Reynoso doesn’t need to be too concerned about IBF lightweight champion Teofimo (15-0, 12 KOs) as a problem for Ryan, considering that he’s already said he’ll be moving up to 140 after he faces Lomachenko this year. The risky matches that Reynoso wants Ryan to delay are against these fighters:
- Vasily Lomachenko – WBA/WBC/WBO
- Devin Haney – WBC
- Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis – WBA
Ryan Garcia vs. Tank Davis to happen soon
“I think the fight will happen at the right moment and the right time,” said Hopkins on Golden Boy LIVE Instagram on a Ryan Garcia vs. Gervonta Davis fight. “That fight right there is an exciting one for the weight division [135], and it’ll happen sooner than later.
“Both guys are talented, and both are confident champions. I would love to see that fight; the fans would like to see it and let me tell you, it will happen. That’s what boxing does, and that’s what we do at Golden Boy. Big fights. Be patient; it’ll happen. Tank vs. Ryan, that’s the fight. Then Ryan vs. Lomachenko because think about it.
“Think about it. We have a three-man; there’s a fourth man out there. Let’s see if someone comes out with that fourth man [Devin Haney?]. It’s not a tournament, but it’s the name in the circle or trey, three people—Hard, skilled, two young guys, confident. Ryan beats Tank.
“The winner of that fight faces Lomachenko. Not that Lomachenko is the big prize. It just leads that way, right? So I’d like to see Tank and Ryan come first, and then Lomachenko can take on someone else that’s credible. And then we got a buzz. We got a conversation on opinions, and then it becomes fun, and it becomes real. That’s what I’m about,” said Hopkins.
If Reynoso has anything to do with it, we might not see Ryan Garcia fight any of the champions at lightweight until 2022. You’ve got to figure that the remainder of 2020 could be lost due to the pandemic.
Ryan Garcia can go far
“I believe Ryan can go as far as his mind and ability. The mind controls everything else,” said Hopkins. “So, I believe the sky’s the limit for him.”
Fans wonder whether Ryan has what it takes to be more than a belt-holder. He’s got the talent to win a world title if matched against the right opponent, but there are certain guys that Ryan will come unglued against when he starts facing better competition.
Like his mentor Oscar De La Hoya, Ryan will struggle when he faces fighters that can take his power and come back with their hard shots. Ryan almost lost to Carlos Morales in 2018. For the boxing fans that paid attention to that fight, Ryan got exposed by Morales.
Assuming boxing does return this year, Golden Boy Promotions will undoubtedly match Ryan in a tune-up against a bottom feeder at 135.
Golden Boy’s original plans of putting Ryan in with former three-division world champion Jorge Linares will be delayed. Linares isn’t the type of fighter that you take on when you’ve been inactive for eight to ten months.